Don’t forget to Fall Back Set your clocks back one hour November 3, 2024
Table of Contents
This Week in Worship
Message from Rev. Lisa Ward
RE Info
News and Announcements
Events
Social & Environmental Justice
Beyond First Parish
This Week in Worship
October Worship Theme: Facing Fear “Honoring Ancestors”

Worship Assistant: Brigitte Miller
Faith Reflection: Charlie Franich
Flowers: Lisa White
Audio: Nicholas Miller
Social Hour: Dianna Wilson
Please log in at 10:20, to give some lead time for the service at 10:30. You will be muted, but you can communicate through the chat box. If you do not have zoom on your computer, please download it ahead of time. It is free.
In worship this Sunday we will honor loved ones who have died, and light a candle in their memory. We invite you to bring photos or mementos of those dearly departed from this physical world. There will be a time in worship for you to speak the name of your loved one and add the memento to the altar table. Those who are joining us by zoom will have an opportunity as well to name their beloved dead.
This week’s offering will go towards the service and ministry of First Parish.

Romilda Crocamo, County Manager of Luzern County, PA, has been the recipient of repeated threats, so serious and targeted that she has alerted law enforcement to protect herself and loved ones.
Emily Cook, the Director of Luzern County’s Bureau of Elections, has also been threatened, both on social media and in person. “People say that I deserved to be executed,” she said. (Oct. 26 NY Times article)
Melissa Kono, the town clerk in Burnside, Wisconsin, has added an entire training section dedicated to identifying threats and how to report them.
Election officials all over the country are being targeted. In Texas, one man called for a “a mass shooting of poll workers and election officials” in precincts with results he found suspicious. Al Schmidt, the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, received this threat in 2020: “stop counting votes, or we’re going to murder your children, and they name your children,” Tammy Patrick, the chief programs officer at the National Association of Election Officials commented: “It’s terrorism here in America.” In fact, the threats have increased by 30 percent since last year. (October 25 Atlantic Monthly article)
We are witnessing the viral power of ideology, spread for the only purpose of eliminating any other way of thinking. How to counter that? Be clear on your own values and form coalitions. Not to setup an “us and them”, but to create firm ground, immuned to intimidation. We also have to be mindful of safety, knowing that ideology can carry people away from all sense and sensibility.
The UUA has set up a “Community Resilience Hub” addressing the challenges of these times: https://www.uua.org/safe/community-resilience This may provide, at least, a sense of community in navigating this political climate.
Keep nourishing generative community. We are more powerful in that single act than we can possibly know.
This I pray. With love, Rev. Lisa
Music This Week
This Sunday the Meetinghouse Choir will be singing an anthem composed by Trisha Tu in memory of two beloved choir members whom we’ve lost in the past year. “Missing You” celebrates the joy we as choir members experienced over many years while singing with Chris Pitt and Walt Hagenbuch. Hunsaker soloist Juan Suarez will also be singing a beautiful song by German composer Richard Strauss called “Allerseelen” (All-Souls Day).
MCC’S MUSICAL MARATHON
Thank you to all of you who worked behind the scenes to make Saturday’s Musical Marathon Fundraiser for Milton Community Concerts such a success. And thanks to so many of you who were able to attend. There was a wonderful sense of community throughout the day and evening, both during the concert and the dinner. We’re happy to report that $2802.26 was raised to support MCC.
And please mark on your calendars that the next MCC event will be the tenth annual “Sing For Their Supper” on Saturday, January 25 at 7pm.
Religious Exploration

Culture Con is happening at Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, NY Friday, December 6 through Sunday, December 8! Please see below for a warm invitation from UUCSR and for more information on registering youth and their adult advisors:
For those of you who are unfamiliar with youth conferences, this is what they consist of — a two-night overnight event that includes all high schoolers from UU congregations in the surrounding area. The activities at the Con will include discussion-based programming, sports, art, and general fun and silliness. Cons are run by the youth and for the youth with adult supervision, but the youth are the central focus in decision-making, planning, and leading.
Culture Con will be a celebration of the UU value of Pluralism, where we honor that we are all sacred beings diverse in culture, experience, and theology! Come to Culture Con excited and ready to express whatever it is you are passionate about! The official registration forms for youth and their adult advisors are live. Please keep in mind, there are 3 forms for youth to submit and 2 forms for their adult advisors to submit.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Jamie Walowitz, UUCSR Youth and Adult Faith Engagement Coordinator via email or her direct line: (516) 472-2943.
News & Announcements
We sincerely thank you for your generous gift to the organizations below. We are so lucky to have your support.
9/15 Movement Voter Project-speaker $661.94
9/29 Reclaim Our Vote $323.43
10/13 Prison Book Program $598.51
Prison Book Program
For over 50 years, the Prison Book Program, a non-profit in Quincy, has been sending free books to people in prison, because everyone deserves the freedom to read. Volunteers write personal notes to offer connection to a community outside the prison walls. There are several ways to support this important program:
Book Drive: Between Oct 19-Nov 10, we are collecting gently used paperbacks in the following categories:
Nonfiction: language learning, trade skills, exercise, business, history, hobbies, self-help, science, sports, spirituality and books by LGBTQ authors and people of color.
Fiction: Westerns, thrillers, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, young adult
Drop off books through the office mail slot or bring them to church and put in box in Narthex.
Buy a special request: visit their wish list to buy the exact book someone asked for.
Events
The Bridging Dinners with Church of the Holy Spirit have returned!
November 1st 5:00pm-7:00pm
Mark your calendar for Friday, November 1 from 5 PM to 7 PM at First Parish Milton in the Parish Hall. Cost is $20 per adult and food will be catered from Fresh Food Generation in Dorchester. Hope to see you there!! Free child care is available. Please let Sherri in the office know if you plan to attend office@fpmilton.org

Vesper Service for Thursday, November 7, 2024
Meetinghouse 7:00pm-9:00pm
The national election results will most likely still be in turmoil, with the spectrum of hopes and fears commanding our attention. Let’s gather together to hold this time and one another for strength, company and resilience. We are in fraught times. We can find a way through.
Navigating the Political Climate
We will be meeting by zoom from 7:00 pm-8:00 pm every other Tuesday. Upcoming dates are Nov 12 & 26. Contact Rev. Lisa at minister@fpmilton.org for the zoom link
AGING TOGETHER ANNOUNCEMENT
Wednesday, November 13 9:00 am via Zoom
The November meeting of FP’s Aging Together group will be an open meeting at which Dottie Pitt will share her research on local retirement communities. Please let Penny Partridge (ppartridge9@icloud.com) know if you would like to attend, and you will be sent a Zoom link for 9 a.m. on Wednesday, 11/13. Also let Penny know if you are interested in joining an AT group. Depending on how many people are interested, we will welcome new members to this group or form a spin off of the original group (now in its 5th year). We meet once a month, usually on Zoom, to discuss issues related to getting older and to get to know each other better. We range in age from mid 60s to mid 80s.

Harvest Supper
November 9th 6:00 pm-9:30 pm
We invite you to the annual First Parish Harvest Supper, Saturday, November 9, 6pm-9:30pm. It’s a potluck!
Click here to RSVP and to sign up to bring a favorite dish.
This is a much-beloved First Parish tradition of fellowship and good food. Childcare (and child-friendly food!) will be available. We look forward to seeing you there.

First Parish HOLIDAY FAIR – crafters wanted
Saturday, Dec 14th from 10 am-2 pm We will have our amazing Holiday Fair again. More information will be coming but if you know crafters who might like to rent a table, please ask them to email me for information. We are lining them up now. Leslie at: lesliecmacpherson@gmail.com
If you want to get involved again, let me know! December will be here before you know it!
Social & Environmental Justice

Next date: November 20th
S&EJ (Social & Environmental Justice committee) is looking for volunteers the third Wednesday of each month to contribute lunches. We hope to deliver 70 lunches a month to support shelter guests.
Please sign up whenever you can help out by clicking on button below.
We are counting on your support!


Daffodil digger duo planting 3 different bulb cultivars around campus trees in front of First Parish Church. Thanks to Mary Blanchette, Debbie Kelley, and also RE diggers around the Children’s Chapel (Sunday, October 27), ably guided by Beth Gray-Nix. Wait until Spring!!!
Stay Connected
Follow First Parish on Facebook and get updates, poems, announcements and more. You’ll be glad you did!
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Thursday 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Other times by appointment
MINISTER OFFICE HOURS
Tuesday – Thursday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Other times by appointment
The Church office is closed on Fridays
Sundays through mid June
- Worship, 9:30 am in the Meetinghouse
- Choir Rehearsal (most Sundays) at 8:45 am
SIGN UP GENIUS (formerly known as the Planner)
The link to SignUp Genius is: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d44aca728a02-sunday1
You can sign up for one our our Sunday volunteer positions.